Peace and much love.

To further promote, protect and preserve the principles found in the Hiphop Declaration of Peace, which clearly states in the second principle, Hiphop Kulture respects the dignity and sanctity of life without discrimination or predjudice. Hiphoppas shall throughly consider the protection and the development of life, over and before the individual decision to destroy or seek to alter its natural development.

The following post is to further promote our cooperation with other kultures to inevitably strengthen our own. It was once written in ancient proverb... that, without your roots, you cannot grow. Where are the true Hiphoppas in the D.C., Maryland, VA and PA areas. What goes around comes around. We have more commonalities than what is spoken of. However, one thing that is clear, the Oglala Elders obviously have the same interests and conflicts as Hiphopppas.


There it is.



[YouthDCNews] Benefit to Support Traditional Oglala Elders, Sat Feb 3


Benefit to Support Traditional Oglala Elders

Saturday, February 3, 7:00PM
St. Stephens and the Incarnation Church
16th and Newton Sts. NW (Columbia Heights Metro)

Cultural Presentations by:
• Pam Parker and Friends
• Brazilian Trio
• D.C. Guerrilla Poets Insurgency

Hosted by:
• Penny Gamble Williams, Co-Host of the Talking Feather on WOL
Radio
• Jay Winter Nightwolf, Host of the Nightwolf Show on WPFW Radio

This spring, a group of traditional Tetonwan (Oglala) Lakota from the
Pine Ridge Reservation will visit our community to meet directly with
Congress about the unspeakable living conditions on the Pine Ridge
Reservation. (See fact-sheet below) The group is spearheaded by three
Traditional Elders:
• David Swallow, Traditional Spiritual Leader
• Eli Tail, Traditional Elder and Treaty Advisor
• Harvey Iron Boy, Traditional Elder and Community Health
Activist

The Piscataway Indian Nation and a group of area activists will be
hosting the delegation. To cover the gasoline and transportation costs
of the elders, as well as covering the costs while they are here, our
goal is to raise $2,000. Please try to attend the February 3 cultural
celebration and fundraiser. If you can't attend, please consider making
a generous contribution toward meeting the delegations expenses. We
hope to be able to cover gas and lodging costs for the trip to and from
Pine Ridge, as well as hospitality costs while they are here. Your
tax exempt contributions can be made to Gray Panthers Metro Washington,
1426 9th St. NW, Washington, DC 20001. Please note "For Oglala Elders."

PINE RIDGE RESERVATION FACTS
Excerpted from "The Arrogance of Ignorance; Hidden Away, Out of Sight
and Out of Mind" By Stephanie M. Schwartz,

• Roughly the size of the State of Connecticut, Pine Ridge Reservation
is the second-largest U.S. Reservation

• Pine Ridge is home to approximately 40,000 persons, 35% under the age
of 18.

• 58.7% of the grandparents on the Reservation are responsible for
raising their own grandchildren.

• 97% of the population lives below Federal poverty levels.

• Life expectancy on the Reservation is 48 years old for men and 52 for
women, the lowest in the U.S..

• The Pine Ridge infant mortality rate is the highest on this
continent, about 3 times the national average.

• Alcoholism, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and malnutrition are
pervasive, with the rate of diabetes on the Reservation is 8 times the
U.S. national average. The death rate from alcoholism is 3 times the US
average.

• The tuberculosis rate on Pine Ridge is 8 times the national average.

• The cervical cancer rate is 5 times the U.S. national average.

• Many Reservation residents live without health care due to vast
travel distances, under-funded and under-staffed medical facilities,
and outdated or non-existent medical equipment.

• The Pine Ridge school drop-out rate is over 70%, and the teacher
turnover is 8 times the U.S. national average.

• An average of 17 people live in each family home (which may only have
two to three rooms) and at least 4,000 new homes are needed in order to
combat homelessness.

• 59% of Reservation homes are substandard, with over 33% lacking water
and sewage systems, electricity, and basic insulation or central
heating.

• Many residents must carry (often contaminated) water from the local
rivers daily for their personal needs.

• Most Reservation families live in rural and often isolated areas
where there are few paved roads and most of the rural homes are
inaccessible during times of rain or snow.

• Weather is extreme on the Reservation, with summer temperatures
reaching well over 110*F, and winters that can reach below -50*F. Each
winter, Reservation residents, especially elders, die from hypothermia.

• There is no public transportation available on the Reservation and
only a minority of Reservation residents own an operable automobile.

• Much of the water and land on the Reservation is contaminated with
pesticides and other poisons from farming, mining, open dumps, and
mining operations.

• The High Plains/Oglala Aquifer which begins underneath the Pine Ridge
Reservation is predicted to run dry in less than 30 years due to
commercial farming use in south of the Reservation. The Oglala Aquifer
is not renewable and recent years of drought have accelerated the
problem.